DAVID MOYES hasn't even been handed the award yet, but already the manager of the month curse has struck.

Football's most notorious hoodoo can be the only explanation for the unbelievable late events which turned a landmark Everton victory into a heartbreaking, numbing defeat at St James' Park yesterday.

Within four minutes of celebrating a seventh successive Premiership win and a sixth straight clean sheet - not to mention ascension ahead of Mersey rivals Liverpool into second place in the table - the Blues somehow conceded two dramatic goals to hand Newcastle unlikely revenge for the Worthington Cup elimination last month.

Never mind a draw, Everton deserved nothing less than victory for an heroic, resolute rearguard action which was imposed on them following the unfortu-nate early sending-off of Joseph Yobo.

But that will be of no consolation to Moyes - surely set to be named November's top Premiership boss - when he contemplates just how the fates transpired to prevent his side producing their best run of league form since 1987.

Of course, Everton won the championship that season. And while no-one - certainly within the Blues camp - is suggesting this current side are ready to sustain a serious challenge to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, it is measure of how much the team has progressed under Moyes that this defeat will be so keenly felt.

In many ways, it was a carbon copy of the loss at Manchester United - the last time Everton had been beaten - when a determined defensive effort was undone in the closing stages.

Yesterday, however, Moyes' men had the added incentive of a lead to defend after Kevin Campbell had profited from Newcastle's abysmal defending even before Yobo was dismissed for a professional foul on Craig Bellamy after 20 minutes.

And with four minutes to go, it appeared the visitors had done enough to claim yet another 1-0 win as, spearheaded brilliantly by substitute David Weir and the impressive Alan Stubbs, Everton produced a defensive masterclass.

But if you are going to concede after 10 hours 18 minutes of Premiership football it may as well be one of the goals of the season.

Alan Shearer's volleyed effort was something no-one could legislate for, but for Bellamy to moments later sneak a shot in at the near post via deflections off both Li Tie and Richard Wright smacked of sheer cruelty.

It was particularly rough on Wright, who had been in outstanding form throughout and must surely earn a recall to Sven-Goran Eriksson's next England squad.

His first save - an expert block by his legs to deny Bellamy the opener after Shearer's flick-on had put the Welsh-man in the clear - came as the hosts, eager to make amends for their Champions League hammering to Inter Milan in midweek, began the brighter.

But it was Everton who struck first on 16 minutes, with Kevin Campbell continuing his love affair with St James' Park.

A long ball forward from David Unsworth was chested down by Campbell and, with Newcastle centrebacks O'Brien and Steven Caldwell allowing him to move in on goal, the striker rolled the ball under the hesitant Shay Given to give the visitors the lead.

Newcastle sought an immediate response, and Wright had to be alert moments later to palm Kieron Dyer's shot around the post after a slack Unsworth pass had gifted the England man possession.

Given the attacking prowess of the home side, Everton already knew they faced a tough task in keeping a sixth successive clean sheet. But their job was made even more difficult in the 20th minute when they were reduced to 10 men after what must rank as Yobo's first mistake as an Everton player.

The Nigerian was beaten by Bellamy in the chase for a long punt upfield, and as the striker cut across there was a collision of legs which ended with the Welshman hitting the floor.

Yobo did not appear to attempt to make a challenge, but as the last defender the referee had no option but to produce the red card. Harsh yes, but inevitable.

The sending-off set the tone for the remainder of the game, with Newcastle laying siege on the Everton goal only to be denied time and again by a Blues defence which, with Weir deputising for the departed Yobo, produced heroics to keep the Magpies at bay.

Wright in particular was proving inspired, diverting Shearer's bullet header over the bar after Laurent Robert had for once produced a good delivery from a corner kick.

Dyer then wasted an excellent chance after being fed by Nolberto Solano, and Evertonians breathed a sigh of relief when Dyer again caused trouble in the area but no Newcastle player was following up.

The second half brought little respite for the visitors. Gary Speed shot over, both Andy Griffin and Robert put chances wide, and when Solano did manage to find the target he could find no way past Wright at the near post.

The longer the game went on, the less likely it looked that Newcastle would grab an equaliser as Everton proved they could easily adapt to defending with 10 men as well as 11.

Compare that to Newcastle, who were nothing short of a shambles in defence and were reduced to pumping long balls up to Shearer and Bellamy.

Given this, it was always going to take something special to beat Wright. And unfortunately for the Blues, Shearer managed just that in the 86th minute, rocketing in an unstoppable 25-yard volley.

That was harsh enough on Everton, but as the game drifted into injury time the unbelievable happened when Bellamy's cross-cum-shot from the left took enough of a deflection off Li Tie to force Wright into diverting the ball into his own net.